Straw-cutter



Patented Jan. 15'. 1856.

S T SHARP Straw Cutter.

I No. 14,116.

STTES SAMUEL T. SHARP, OF DANVILLE, MISSOURI.

STRAW-GUTTER.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. SHARP, of the town of Danville, in thecounty of Montgomery, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Straw-Cutters; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawingmaking a part of this specification, the same being a perspective View.

I first constructed a simple frame by connecting the two perpendicularpieces (made of 2 inch plank 3 feet 3 inches in height) V, V, by theplate also made of plank, M M, 2 feet 10 inc es long and 6 inches broad.This frame is supported and made steady by the braces W, W, and Y beingstrips of heavy plank mortised into the two upri hts and extendingdiagonally and longltudinally from them. Upon the plate M M, I adjust aknife A circular and 9 inches long, with a circular guard or guide, somade with two bars of iron that the knife works between them, upon thesame pivot C; this knife and guard are made to revolve toward each otheruntil they meet, each revolving the same distance. The knife and guardare each made to revolve by means of two straps of leather F and Gfastened at the end of the knife and guard and passing around thepulleys or wheels H, 'I, (being 4: inches in diameter, 1*} inches thick)said wheels running vertically thence around the pulleys or wheels J K(being 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick) said wheels runninghorizontally, and connecting with and secured upon the short lever orcog L. This lever is 2 feet long from the center of the axle P of thesemiwheel 0, being pinned on said wheel 0 and resting when the guard andknife are elevated, against the plate M M. The half wheel 0 is 2 feetdiameter, or 1 foot above the axle P, made of 2 inch plank, securelyfastened upon its axle P which extends from one leg to the other of theframe. This wheel is revolved by means of the lever Q having a pocket atthe end of it, T, in which the foot is inserted. The lever is 3 feetlong from the center of the axle P, being also pinned upon the wheel 0.When this lever is elevated 15 inches at the end T, the knife A I andguard B are opened, making a circle 9 inches in diameter, into whichstraw is placed, the box U leading into said circle. The foot beingplaced in the pocket T and pressing upon the lever Q the wheel 0 and theshort lever L are revolved. The long lever Q, revolvin 15 inches, theshort lever L revolves 10 inc es sufliciently far to draw the knife Aand guard B together. The knife and guard being drawn are thrown openagain when the lever Q is raised by the foot, by means of the two chordsw m fastened upon the wheel O and passing through rings in thestationary bar Z connecting with the shanks D and E. These shanks arecontinuations of the guard and knife 6 inches long and revolving in anopposite direction to them. The wheel 0 revolves 5 inches when the leveris elevated sufiiciently far to enable the chords w a: to bring theshanks D, E, to the position they occupy when the knife and guard areraised.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isThe arranging a circular knife and a circular guard upon a common pivot,so that they will revolve one toward the other until they meet eachtraveling the same distance: or the arranging two knives (circular) upona common pivot so that they will revolve toward each other until theymeet.

' SAMUEL T. SHARP.

Witnesses:

JAcoB L. SHARP, WM. 0. LOVELAOE.

